The East of Ireland Tennis Championships [1] originally known as the East of Ireland Championships [2] is a combined men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1885. The first championships was played at the Howth Lawn Tennis Club, Howth, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland. The tournament ran as a senior international tour event until 1979. The championships are still being played today.[3]
| East of Ireland Tennis Championships | |
|---|---|
| Tournament information | |
| Founded | 1885 |
| Location | Dublin Republic of Ireland |
| Venue | Howth Lawn Tennis Club (1885-1889) Pavilion Grounds (1904-1914) Mount Temple Lawn Tennis Club (1919-1924) Lansdowne Lawn Tennis Club (1935-current) |
| Surface | Grass Court/Hard Court |
| Website | https://lansdowneltc.com/ |
History
editThe first staging of the East of Ireland Championships were first held in 1885 at the Howth Lawn Tennis Club in Howth, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland through until 1889 when it ended. In 1904 the championships were revived but by this time had been moved to the 1904 Pavilion Grounds,[4] Kingstown, Ireland until 1914. The tournament was not held during World War One.
Following the First World War the venue was changed to the Mount Temple Lawn Tennis Club at Dartry, a suburb of south Dublin until 1924 (though it was not staged in 1921). The East of Ireland Championships were not held again until 1935 when it found a permanent home at the Lansdowne Lawn Tennis Club, Londonbridge Road, Sandymount, Dublin. where it continued to be held as a senior tour event until 1979. Throughout the mid to late 1980s it was known as the Heineken East of Ireland championships for sponsorship reasons.[5]
The tournament was usually held later in July or August, however from 1935 it had moved to start of June. Grass courts was the initial surface for this tournament. The East of Ireland Tennis Championships are still being held annually today,[6] the current playing surface are hard courts.
Former notable winners of the championship includes Willoughby Hamilton (IRE), George McVeagh (IRE), Heraldo Weiss (ARG), Sidney Schwartz (USA), Don Black (RHO) Hilda Wallis (IRE) and Betty Lombard (IRE) and Anna-Giulia Remondina (ITA).
References
edit- ^ "Tennis championships at semi-final stage: The semi-final stages were reached in the East of Ireland Tennis Championships at the Lansdowne Club, Londonbridge Road last evening". Irish Examiner. Dublin, Republic of Ireland. 13 August 2004. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ Moore. Ronnine, The Irish Independent. (Friday 16 June 1950). Miss Lombard To Meet Mrs. Weiss In the East of Ireland Tennis Final The holder, Miss E. F. Lombard, qualified for the Ladies' Singles final in the East of Ireland Tennis Championships at Londonbridge yesterday. Dublin, Ireland. p. 9.
- ^ "Home". Lansdowne LTC. Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ Irish Times (Wednesday 21 August 1907). Lawn Tennis: East of Ireland Championships: The East of Ireland Championships tournament was brought a conclusion yesterday at the Pavilion Gardens, Kingstown, Ireland. p.7.
- ^ "Cheers: the winner of the Heineken East of Ireland championship, Michael Walker from Colwyn Bay". Sunday Tribune. Dublin, Republic of Ireland: Tribune Newspapers PLC. 30 August 1987. p. 14.
- ^ Lansdowne LTC
Sources
edit- Moore, Ronnine, (Friday 16 June 1950) The Irish Independent. Dublin, Ireland.
- Lansdowne LTC (2022). Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
- Irish Examiner. (13 August 2004). Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
- Sunday Tribune. (1987) Dublin, Republic of Ireland: Tribune Newspapers PLC.
- The Irish Times (Wednesday 21 August 1907). Dublin, Ireland.